By Triana O'Keefe, editor Australian Hotelier
The quintessentially Melbourne watering hole has returned from its long enforced hiatus to once again grace Abbotsford’s Victoria Street with its lovingly restored façade and promise of good times and frivolity within its green walls.
A venue synonymous with fun and irreverence, the landmark pub was earmarked for demolition and redevelopment when it came to the attention of Sand Hill Road owners, Matt and Andy Mullins, Tom Birch and Doug Maskiell.
“When we all heard the Terminus Hotel was slated for demolition we decided then and there we had to try and save it. Having lived in nearby Buckingham Street for years, the Terminus was our local and it’s an institution none of us wanted to see disappear,” said Matt Mullins.
Following a number of successful creative collaborations including the recently renovated Prahran Hotel, Sand Hill Road once again turned to renowned hospitality design team Techné Architects to help them resurrect and reinvigorate the Terminus Hotel.
Sand Hill Road provided Techné Architects director, Justin Northrop, with two criteria; the first, to deliver a unique design that caters for today’s patrons while also acknowledging the venue’s illustrious past and the second, to create a lush garden space offering local residents respite from the surrounding concrete jungle and a meeting place for their family and friends.
“The venue has been almost completely dwarfed by apartment developments in recent years and it seemed entirely appropriate to provide a lush oasis for patrons surrounded by the ever increasing urban sprawl,” said Northrop.
“The challenge was creating a space that provides an increasing level of amenity while also retaining the much-loved character of the pub.
“The original heritage protected façade, built in 1923, has been restored, but the famous green paint-job will remain. The interiors are a modern interpretation of the original pub, with the focal point being the art deco-inspired front bar. In contrast, the spectacularly kitsch upstairs ‘Paris Tropical’ bar space is a nod to the Terminus’ flamboyant history. The circulation between the internal spaces and the sprawling urban jungle beer garden is designed to be continuous and allows patrons to explore the pub and check out what else is going on throughout the venue,” he said.
To read the complete article on the Terminus, click here, or see the latest edition of Australian Hotelier.